Childhood
by Vaelliance
Summary: Jack hears a call from a girl who needs saving. The Man in the moon sends him to an Ice Castle in the middle of nowhere. There he meets Elsa, mistress of the Ice Castle who seems to be needing help herself. Will he be able to save Elsa while he searches for the girl who called for him?
1. Chapter 1

_A/N: This is a gift fic to my friends Alexa and Feety(for the few ships that we share that can be counted on one hand). Hope you like it!_

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><p>Chapter 1<p>

Someone was calling Jack.

He whipped his head around in search for the direction of the faint voice and for a moment, he thought he'd imagined it. But it came a second time, louder, clearer, and although there was not a word Jack could understand from it, there was the sound, the voice, and that was evidence enough that someone was indeed calling him.

He looked up at the moon for a say from the man in it but he heard nothing from it and he hesitated. He didn't know what to do with the voice calling him. It came once more and he paused in thought. Then with a determined nod, he made a decision. He's going to look for the owner of that voice.

The wind blew him away at his call and he looked around him while in his flight. The voice was still there and bit by bit, he could finally hear some words.

"_- them in._" It was but a whisper but he heard it. It was there.

"_- em see._" Clearer this time and he knew it was from a girl. And as if confirming his assumption, the voice said, "_- good girl._" Yet it didn't sound like a good thing.

This child must need him, Jack was convinced. And that's why she's calling him.

"_- ceal._"

Her words seemed like they were now directly whispered to his ear so he must be getting close. He looked around him once more; at the rows of houses with roofs white and covered with snow; at the children chasing around one another with laughter bubbling in their chests. He felt a smile pull at his lips at the sight of them and he was even more determined to find the child.

"_Don't feel._" Yes, she needed him. Jack could now hear the distress in her voice and it made him frown. How could those words come out from a child? Any child _should_ feel; the fun, excitement, joy. This must be why she's calling him. And fun he'll be sure to give her.

It's been minutes since he started flying and although he knew he was getting closer, he wasn't getting anywhere at the same time. With a slight frustration starting to grow in him, he increased his search on his surroundings, not paying attention to his front anymore. When there was still no sign of the child, he looked up at the moon but was greeted by a portal.

With shock painted all over his face, he was brought right into the portal by the wind and with a cry, he was sucked into the swirl of distorted dimension.

"_Don't let them know._" At first, Jack thought that it was the man in the moon who told him that; perhaps to not tell the other guardians of what was happening with him, but he realized that it was still the child's voice and it confused him a bit, wondering what should not be known. Well, only one way to find out. And the portal must be leading him to the child.

After a dizzying trip within the portal, Jack was spat out of the distorted dimension and into the ground of white. He immediately knew he was sitting on snow, what with how he's so familiar with it like it was a part of his own body. He picked up his staff that was spat beside him and stood up then looked around.

The portal was no longer around to be seen and everywhere he looked, there was only a wide expanse of snow. There weren't even houses or any other presence of warmth and it confused him that he was sent to such isolation. Where was the child he needed to save? He gasped when he realized the child must be lost somewhere within the pile of snow and started to frantically search around.

He called unto the wind to take him up midair and from there he looked for anything that resembled a child. When he turned to his back, he froze and a gasp escaped his lips, with his eyes wide open. Instead of finding the lost child, he found a lone ice castle that was nothing like he'd ever seen before. It was beautiful, breathtaking, and after he confirmed that there wasn't any lost child anywhere around the snowy mountain, he headed straight to it.

He landed in front of the doors of the entrance and only stood gaping there for a second. The design carved on the doors was beautiful, different from the normal way ice forms from his touch, and he unconsciously brought up a hand to touch it, feeling the smooth surface of the ice against his fingers. He tried giving it a light push, just to see if it would open and it did. He made an opening enough for him to enter and another gasp was tore out of him as he stepped in and gazed at the interior.

Everything from outside to inside were made of ice; the floor to the ceiling to the chandeliers that lighten up the place. He couldn't close his mouth at the sight of it all until he wondered who lived in this ice castle and was reminded of the child that he needed to attend to. This time, he looked around in search of another person and when everything was still, he called out, "Hello?"

There was no answer and no sound other than that of his barefoot hitting the icy floor as he walked further in. He called out again, in a much louder voice, "Hello? Anybody home?" He stopped in the middle of the entrance hall, waiting.

"Who are you?" A melodic female voice finally answered to his call and Jack spun around to see an enchanting beauty standing by the railings of the second floor. Jack only stared at her for a moment, with his mouth falling slightly open as he took in the sight of the lady that was looking back at him warily, cautiously. Instantly, Jack knew that she was the goddess of the castle.

Her elegance and poise as she stood was not of an average person; it spoke of pride and a high stand but not condescending and arrogant. Her hair was a light color, thought nothing like his silver strands, and they flowed smoothly on a braid on her delicate shoulder to her chest. And her eyes. Her wary blue eyes. Jack could see the fear in them and that snapped him out of his trance.

"My name is Jack and I'm kind of… lost." He immediately explained to appease her. And although the fear lessened, she was still guarded, her body language screaming defense. This was natural of course, so Jack just went straight to his business. "I would just like to know. Is there any child around here?"

The lady's delicate features scrunched in confusion as she replied, "No. No, the city is quiet far from here. And in this weather…" she trailed off.

Jack smiled and nodded. "I understand. So, how do I get to the city?"

"Just down the mountain and head south. It's quite a long way…" she tailed off again but now she's running her eyes from his head to his toes. And they stayed glued to his bare feet.

He laughed, knowing exactly what she was thinking and he unconsciously wagged his toes. "Oh, don't worry, I go well with the cold. And it seems that you do, too." He gestured at her with a hand. "What, with living in an ice castle in those clothes."

She visibly shrunk, her arms curling up to her chest, her face flashing with fear and she took a step back. But that's as far as she went when she seemed to have realized what he said and her brows furrowed. "What do you…? Have you been cursed as well?"

"Cursed?" Jack repeated before breaking down to laughter. He propped his staff to his side, rested both hands on it and leaned heavily on it. He breathed out the last of his laughter and spoke fondly, "It's hardly a curse. More like a blessing really, when it makes me capable of making the children happy."

The blues of the lady widened and she looked so lost and confused. "What…? But, how…? I mean…" She became a stammering mess and she stopped, looking a little frustrated.

Jack started to wonder why this lady was so conflicted. She wasn't anything like he thought she'd be the first time he saw her and it piqued his interests. Child or not, she was obviously going through something and he wanted to help her out some way.

He cleared his throat to get back the attention of the lady who was clutching hard unto her arms that her nails must've been digging on her skin. She turned to look at him and slightly straightened up, calming herself down.

"Um, to tell you the truth, I'm Jack Frost." He said in an answer to her unstated question.

She only looked at him in confusion, one eyebrow raised.

They both fell in silence, Jack looking at the lady expectantly, the other looking at him confusedly. Until it clicked into Jack and he gasped in disbelief. "You don't know me?"

"Um… no?"

Jack gaped. How could this lady even see him when he didn't know him lest believe in him? He looked at his hands, at himself, wondering if he'd suddenly solidified into a real human being. Realizing just how impossible that was though, he turned back to the lady, still looking bewildered. "You can see me?"

The lady was now looking at him like he'd gone crazy. "Uh… yes?"

"Hold on, hold on." He waved a hand at her then slowly asked, "So, you don't know me but you can see me?" She gave a slow, hesitant nod. "Which country am I in?" Because that could only be the only reason he could think of. He must be in a country that didn't know Jack Frost, that's it.

"You're currently within the kingdom of Arendelle."

"Arendelle?" He paused in thought. "I don't think I've heard of that country before. Must be why you don't know me."

They fell silent again, Jack wondering why he was in a country that didn't know him to save a child that might not even be able to see him. Should he consult the other guardians? No, he didn't want to depend on them. The child was calling for him, so he should deal with this himself. Speaking of the child… Jack's head snapped from his left to his right and around. He couldn't hear her calling him anymore.

"Um…?" He was broken out of his reverie by the lady and he turned back to her. She took her step back closer to the railings, a hand reaching out to hold unto it as she looked at him curiously. "What do you mean by you go well with the cold? That is, if you're not cursed."

Jack considered telling her about him and shrugged. Might as well start to make himself known to this country. "I go well with the cold simply because I am a sort of personification of it. Watch." He made sure that her eyes were focused on him as he tapped his staff unto the floor.

Fern-like patterns of thin ice started to spread from the tip of his staff, branching out slowly to cover the rest of the floor. He watched it work for a second then looked at the lady for a reaction. As expected, she gaped. She looked at the forming patterns with unveiled surprise and just a bit of amazement, which was unusual to Jack. Normally, the children would be so thrilled. Maybe because she's not a child, she didn't have the same reaction?

After watching for a moment, the lady's eyes returned to Jack's own and it looked like she was at a loss for words. So, Jack initiated. "And what about you? Why do you do well with the cold?"

"Well, I…" The lady looked at her hand and couldn't get past her stuttering of, "I…"

Jack guessed that it must be difficult for her to talk about it. To ease her tension and give her the time to open up, he looked around for another source of conversation and brightened up, "Did you build this castle?"

The lady looked at him and nodded.

Wow, she must be strong. He wanted an ice castle, too. Thinking about it, he got rather excited. Well, he was Jack Frost so it wouldn't be too far off for him to live in an ice castle. The children must already think that he did, no? Getting riled up by the idea, he beamed up at the lady. "How did you build this?"

She seemed taken aback by the question and her brows knitted together in thought. "Well, I… that is, it's kind of my…" her shoulders drew up together, her head hung low as she whispered, "… power."

Jack's eyes widened and he exclaimed, "That's amazing!" He spun around to look at the castle once more, saying, "So you can use ice magic too? Then aren't we the same?" When he turned back at her, her eyes were wide with realization.

"… So we are." She breathed out in a whisper.

He grinned up at her and asked, "What's your name?"

The lady paused, looked at him hesitantly before her shoulders relaxed a bit. And for the first time since he entered the castle, she smiled. It was small, but it was there. "I'm Elsa."


	2. Chapter 2

_A/N: Fluff... so much fluff... In thanks for everyone who favorited and followed and reviewed this story, I present to you an update! Just a short chapter though. I love to leave things hanging tee-hee. Enjoy the fluff!_

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><p>Chapter 2<p>

"So, how exactly did you build this castle? Where did you get all these ice? How were you able to put it up? Are you alone here?" Jack bombarded Elsa with questions as he continued to gaze up at the castle with wonder.

Elsa blinked once, twice, looking baffled and unsure on what to say. "Um… well… I… It's really hard to explain." She finally said with a helpless sigh.

Jack thought about it and had to admit that it's really hard to put into words how they use their ability. But he still wanted to see what Elsa could do and there must be some way… An idea popped into his mind and he grinned up at the lady with glittering eyes. "Then, you can just show me what you can do!"

She, once again, recoiled, her eyes wide with horror, the corners of her lips drawn downwards with fear. She looked as if she was going to run away any second and Jack had to wonder just what exactly had her so frightened. "N… no. No. I w- won't… I can't. A- and you should leave."

"But I showed you what _I_ can do!" Jack immediately called out when Elsa started to turn away. He leapt from his position, using his staff to spring him higher than he could actually reach, and landed on the railings of the second floor where Elsa stood near.

When Elsa had stopped and looked over her shoulder to see Jack land clean on the railings, she stumbled backwards with a gasp and hit her back against the wall. She stuck close to it as her eyes ran over the crouching form of Jack and she stuttered, "Y- you… what…"

"Hey, there's no need to be so afraid." Jack used a gentle, comforting tone which he often used to calm down a child. He added a little bit of smile to be convincing as he continued, "I won't hurt you, you'll be fine. Believe me."

Elsa just stared at him for a second, the fear never leaving the light of her eyes. She breathed in and out heavily as if a sob was tearing its way through her. "It's not about _you_ hurting _me_." She almost only whispered, her face twisting as if she's about to cry. "It's _me_ that could hurt _you_."

Jack fell silent as he considered her words. His powers had never really hurt anyone aside from Pitch and his minions and even then, he hadn't even hurt them that severely. Or, Pitch that was. So it was hard for him to imagine that a power like his would actually be able to harm anybody, more so _him_, who wields it just the same. He could only shake his head in disbelief as he said to Elsa, "No, you won't hurt me." He quickly held up a hand to stop Elsa when she opened her mouth, most probably to protest. "I've used my powers on people before and it certainly did not hurt them. Let me show you." He swung the head of his staff towards Elsa and a series of dusty blue light darted to her, hitting her at the middle of her eyes.

Elsa repeatedly blinked, a hand coming up to her face, hovering over the area where she got hit. Her blinking slowed until she just stared dazedly at a blank space then sharply turned to Jack with wide eyes. There was no more fear in her blues, only a bit of shock and Jack couldn't help but grin. "How is it? You didn't get hurt, did you?"

For a moment, Elsa just stared at him with disbelief. Then she slowly shook her head, her hand slapping against her forehead in incomprehension. "I can't believe it… I can't believe it!"

Jack laughed heartily, his head thrown back, before he looked at Elsa with excitement shining in eyes again. "See! I didn't hurt you so you wouldn't hurt me either! Now come on, I want to see what _you_ can do!" He held out a hand for Elsa and she just looked at it for a second. Then, her shoulders easing from the tension, a small smile relaxing on her face, she took a step forward and took Jack's hand.

Thrilled with childish excitement, Jack pulled Elsa to him and carried her with him as he jumped down from the railings, eliciting a surprised cry from the lady. As soon as his feet touched ground, he gently put Elsa back to her feet but didn't let go of her hand and pulled her along as he ran towards the door. He didn't listen to Elsa's pleas to slow down and didn't let her pull away her hand as he continued to drag her outside, towards the large expanse of snow. He finally stopped when he was sure they have enough space around them to play. Not that there were anything to block them in the first place.

He let go of Elsa's hand and turned to her, his grin and shining eyes never fading. Upon seeing the disgruntled lady, he couldn't resist bending down and picking up some snow, forming it into a ball and throwing it at her. He supposed seeing her powers could wait a bit.

Elsa looked totally aghast when the snow hit her. But she caught up with what he was trying to do, picked up some snow herself and returned the throw at him.

Jack laughed when Elsa retaliated and gathered snow in his hands again. They continued to throw snowballs at each other; Elsa finally stopped holding back and let herself laugh along with Jack. The sound of her laughter hyped up Jack some more and encouraged him to continue on. He gaped when Elsa made a snowball bigger than two fists combined and threw it at him. He received it on the face and he staggered back, lost his balance and fell on his back. Elsa gasped, realizing what she had done, and ran to him with alarm, falling to her knees beside Jack. "Are you alright?!"

The panic in her voice was evident and Jack didn't want her to withdraw into herself once more, just when she'd opened up. So he laughed loudly and swung his arms and legs sideways, making an angel on the snow. "That was fun!" he exclaimed.

Elsa sighed when Jack didn't seem hurt and sat down the snow, her shoulders slumping forward. "I'm sorry." She started, her expression saddening. She looked down on her hands clasped together on her lap and sighed, this time, not from relief.

Jack sat up and leaned towards Elsa, trying to look her into the eyes. "Hey, it's fine. It was really fun, don't you think?" When Elsa looked up at him, he grinned.

Elsa couldn't stop a small smile spreading across her lips as she shrugged. "I guess it was. It's been a really long time since I last played with the snow. I… I really missed it."

"Even though your power is snow and ice?" Jack questioned, his brows knitted together with confusion. How was it possible not to play with snow that way? He couldn't even think up a reason. And every child played with the snow during the winter season, no?

Elsa's smile fell away and he looked at her open palms sadly. "I was… I was the only one who had powers like these. My parents said that it was a curse. At first, everything was fine. I used to play with my powers a lot, together with my younger sister. But one day… one day, I… I hit her." She closed her palms and shut her eyes tightly. And when her blue eyes were revealed again, they were filled with the frustration and anger like before. "Then my parents told me… to conceal them. To not let anyone in, to not let anyone see, to not feel so people wouldn't know."

Jack's eyes narrowed as he stared at Elsa. Her last few words seemed kind of familiar. Where had he heard them? He tried to remember.

"_Don't let them in,_

_Don't let them see,_

_Be a good girl, you always have to be._

_Conceal,_

_Don't feel,_

_Don't let them know._"

His eyes widened. He listened to Elsa sing the words in her beautiful but sad voice as realization slowly

dawned on him. The he looked at Elsa, up and down, with wide eyes and slightly open mouth. He couldn't really believe it because the lady in front of him was certainly no child and he thought that it was a child that needed his help and needed his saving. Instead, a lady who looked only to be his age when he passed was sitting in front of him and repeated the words that he'd heard from before.

It was Elsa who had called for him.


	3. Chapter 3

_A/N: As someone from a tropical country, I... I don't know how to play with snow._

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><p>Chapter 3<p>

When the realization sunk, Jack grabbed Elsa's hands even before he knew what he was doing. Elsa looked up at him with wide eyes and they only stared into each other's eyes, delving into the depths of it as if they could see into each other's soul; Elsa silently asking for comfort and Jack silently providing it. Seconds, minutes, hours seemed to have passed and they only continued to look at each other, _into_ one another. Then Elsa's eyes softened and Jack's lips eased into a soft, fond smile.

Slowly, Jack raised his hands, Elsa's in between his, at a height in the middle of the two of them, in front of their chests. Elsa's eyes flickered down to their joint hands, her lower lip caught in between her teeth and Jack felt her tremble slightly. He tightened his grip around her hands to assure her and when she turned her gaze up at him, he flashed her a smile.

As Elsa finally relaxed a little, Jack guided their hands down unto the ground of snow on their side and, slowly and gently, he pressed the lady's fingers against it. When Elsa's fingers touched the snow, it slowly turned to ice and spread out like osmosis around them, and for a moment, they watched the surrounding snow harden.

Elsa looked at Jack, her eyes voicing out her worry and confusion as to what Jack was trying to do. But Jack just watched the snow turn into ice with amazement, his lips stretching out into a beam. Then he turned back to their hands and Elsa followed his gaze. Jack pressed his fingers unto the ice that Elsa produced, and from his fingers, fern-like patterns started to form. It stretched out as far as Elsa's ice, so now they sat in the middle of snow-turned-ice with Jack's design carving it.

The worry and confusion in Elsa dispersed and she looked around them, her eyes brightening and her lips stretching upwards. There was a shine in her eyes that was as beautiful as her laugh when Jack looked at her that he couldn't help but feel a warmth in his chest that brought about a smile to his lips. And as he gazed at her now, she appeared even more beautiful than she was when he first saw her.

Jack was confused of a lot of things, like how it was a grown lady that had called for him when he usually only worked with children, and why Elsa could see him when she didn't know him, but his confusion was beaten by his strong feelings to comfort the frightened, lonely lady in front of him. He was somewhat glad that it was Elsa who called for him, who needed him, and he was glad that he'd found her. He's determined to give her the fun that she didn't seem to know and the happiness that she was deprived of because of her parents' words.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" He started and when Elsa looked at him, the joy and excitement were evident in her eyes and her smile. He brought their hands up to their chest level again and squeezed her hands. "This is what only we can do. Think of it special." He stared into Elsa's blues, relaying his sincerity, and he felt Elsa squeeze back his hands. He smiled. "So, show me more of what you can do!"

It took only a second of hesitation before Elsa stood up and pulled Jack along with her. Once they were on their feet, face to face with one another, Elsa's eyes glinted mischievously and she suddenly slid backwards, pulling on Jack with her.

From the sudden movement, Jack lost his balance and stumbled. He would've already fallen on his face if not because of Elsa holding on to him. He remembered that they were on ice and it was slippery and he was barefooted. When he regained his balance, he looked up at Elsa and saw her grinning. His eyebrows shot up at the sight of it but understood what they meant. He couldn't stop a smile forming as he eyes Elsa. "Ohh, I see what you're trying to do."

He made the sudden backward movement this time and dragged Elsa with him as he slid along the ice. She momentarily lost her balance, her hands tightening on their hold on his hands and a look of surprise flashing on her face. But she quickly recovered and laughed as she let him drag her and skate them around.

Jack grinned and increased his speed. Elsa quickly caught on to what he was trying to do and looked at him challengingly. So he released one of her hands and full on ran them across the ice.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Elsa gasped when the sudden increase of too much speed caught her off guard. She yelped when Jack made a sharp turn and almost threw her off. He laughed at her flustered face and she glared up at him. To retaliate, she made a sloping ice right where Jack was heading, and he noticed too late he was going up on it.

The speed Jack was going threw them off the edge of the sloping ice and into midair. Although it took him by surprise, he managed to recover quickly and he even had enough time to pull Elsa into his arms and hoist her up by her legs.

He landed cleanly and gently on ice, with a bit of help from the wind, and slid them slowly to a stop.

Elsa was gaping up at him as he was now carrying her in his arms, her side pressed against his chest, her arms wrapped around his neck. They just continued to stare at each other's eyes, Jack's lips quirked up into a smug smile. Then Elsa's lips slowly drew upwards and she laughed.

Jack laughed with her, convinced that this was the sound that suited Elsa the most.

After a full minute of laughter, Jack gently placed Elsa back to her feet and exclaimed, "That was so fun! You should send me flying like that some more."

Elsa giggled and replied, her voice sounding very joyful, "You must be out of your mind. You could get hurt."

Jack was glad he could no longer hear the fear in her voice now and he shook his head. "I would never get hurt. I can actually fly, you know."

Elsa looked at him skeptically and crossed her arms across her chest, the smile still displayed on her beautiful face. "Oh really."

"Hey, I'm telling the truth, you know!" Jack exclaimed, pretending to feel offended. "I can take you up in the air right now if you want."

"Oh, why don't you?" Elsa giggled.

Jack narrowed his eyes and raised a finger at her. "I'll show you."

He pulled on her hand and wrapped his arms around her then called out, "Wind, take me!"

In an instant, Jack was off his feet and was up in the air with Elsa. Jack was satisfied with the gasp that came out from the lady and smiled to himself when Elsa wrapped her arms tightly around his neck again, probably fearing that she would fall off. To assure her, he tightened his hold around her waist, bringing her closer against him. "Don't worry, I won't let you fall." He said, as they hovered over the ground, just in case Elsa still felt unsafe.

Elsa turned to him with her eyes wide and he laughed at her expression. "There's no need to be afraid." He added and smiled sweetly. "Look down. Slowly."

Looking rather unsure, Elsa still followed his instruction and slowly turned her head down. She gasped again, but for a totally different reason.

Jack watched as Elsa's expression brightened and she gazed down to the ground with awe. She turned back her gaze to Jack briefly with such giddiness as she squealed, "Oh, this is wonderful! I didn't think I'd see my castle from this angle."

Overwhelming happiness that threatened to overflow bubbled within Jack and he laughed again. "See? I told you I could fly!"

The heartfelt smile that Elsa showed Jack as she turned back to him knocked his breath out of him and he suddenly stopped breathing. He stared back into those blue eyes that seemed like were engulfing him and his hand on her waist tightened on his hold.

"Thank you, Jack." Elsa said and Jack realized that their faces were actually so close that he could feel her breath on his face. "For everything."

And he suddenly realized that Elsa was no child.


	4. Chapter 4

_A/N: This is kind of like a behind the scenes chapter lol Enjoy!_

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><p>Chapter 4<p>

Everything seemed to have suddenly gone frozen; from the seconds to minutes that they stayed afloat midair, the air that Jack breathed in and out of his lungs, to the brush of wind that caressed their forms. Jack couldn't take his eyes away from Elsa as she clutched him close and looked down at the ground beneath.

Something was stirring inside Jack and it confused him. Their close distance made his heart beat fast and his face heat up. The places that they touched seemed to burn and it spread all over him. And Elsa was suddenly looking ten times more beautiful than he'd initially thought. His breathing had also gone shallower as if taking deep breathes would break the moment and he didn't want that.

Yet despite the turmoil and the confusion within, Jack was actually feeling contented. It felt so natural to just hold Elsa in his arms and it felt like it could go on forever and he wouldn't mind at all. They could stay together for as long as time permitted and he would make Elsa smile and laugh and happy. Yes. That's exactly what he wanted to do.

While Jack was lost within the moment and his thoughts, Elsa has spotted something down below that caught her attention. She watched as three figures moved along the endless expanse of snow, looking like sore thumbs across all the white. It took her a second to realize that the figures were people. Well, two people and a… a reindeer. Then as she continued to watch, wondering what these people were doing out in the open in such a cold weather, she realized in a loud gasp and wide eyes that she recognized one of those people.

Jack was finally snapped out of his trance when Elsa's grip on him tightened so much that it started to hurt. He looked over to the lady and saw how tensed she'd become and knew immediately that Elsa was back to her frightened self again. He tightened his hold around her as well for comfort as he worriedly asked, "What's wrong?"

Elsa looked up at Jack, her eyebrows drawn together upwards in anxiety, her eyes screaming fear. She hesitated for a moment, unsure if she should tell Jack but decided that she wouldn't really be losing anything if she did. And this was Jack. So far, he's only ever been good to her. He helped her a lot and for once after in such a long while, he'd made her laugh and feel happiness. And perhaps that's what made her feel like she could tell this man anything to everything. "My sister's coming." She whispered.

"Your what?"

"My sister." Elsa repeated, looking back down to her sister's figure down below. And who was that man with her this time? "She's heading to my castle. She probably wants me to go back with her and return to the palace." She explained.

Jack didn't really know what to say to that. But based on how Elsa was now trembling and holding unto him hard, he could only ask, "Is that bad?"

"It is _very_ bad!" Elsa almost screamed, her head turning to Jack. She shook the man as she ranted off just how bad the situation was. "I- I can't return to the palace! Everyone already knows! Th- they know! And they're afraid of me! I'd only probably be locked up again! Oh no, I don't want to be locked up again." She shook her head vigorously, her eyes filling up with tears. She looked into Jack's eyes pleadingly as if he would be giving her to her sister. "I don't want to be locked up again, Jack. I want to be _free_."

All the movement from Elsa was making it rather hard for Jack to stay balanced midair as he was supporting both their weights, and Elsa's rapid talking wasn't helping him understand the situation much as it took time to actually sink in. But what he understood was that Elsa's sister's visit was making her upset and was the cause of such a heart-wrenching expression on Elsa's beautiful face which made his heart ached just at the sight of it, and this visit might give her trouble in the future. And that they should not be staying afloat.

"Hold on, hold on, let me get us back to the ground first and then we'll calmly discuss this." He flew them back at the doors of the castle, and as soon as Elsa's feet were touching the ground, she stormed back inside, her head between her hands. Jack followed after her as they climbed up the stairs and entered a room and Elsa immediately slammed close the door just as Jack got inside.

Elsa paced all around the room and back again while muttering again and again, "What should I do? Oh, what should I do?!" She was really starting to panic and it pained Jack to see her like this.

As slowly as he could and as carefully as he could, he walked up to Elsa and placed a gentle hand on her shoulder. It made him smile a bit when his touch seemed to have calmed her down even just the slightest bit and he took hold of both her shoulders and slowly turned her around to face him.

Elsa dropped her hands to her sides and looked up at Jack.

Jack gave her a comforting smile and, ever so gently, instructed, "Okay, let's just calm down for a moment, alright? Breath in, breath out. Come on, Elsa. Breath in, breath out."

Elsa did just as instructed and felt her shoulders relax a bit. At least she had finally calmed down enough and she closed her eyes to actually think things through.

Jack just watched Elsa close her eyes then slid his hands from her shoulders, down to her arms, then to her hands and he squeezed them. He thought back to what Elsa had told him earlier before calling out, "Elsa?" The lady opened her eyes and looked at him. "You said that your sister is coming over to take you back." Elsa nodded. "But do you really think that she'll lock you up?"

There was a pause and for a moment, Elsa's eyes brightened up with realization. But they just clouded up again and she looked down, shaking her head. "Probably." She answered. "She probably thinks that I'm a monster now and a threat to our people. Maybe-" her voice cracked and she sniffled. "Maybe she's going to even k-kill me." Her shoulders shook as tears started flowing down her eyes.

"Do you really believe that?" Jack asked, almost in a whisper, with a squeeze on Elsa's hands. It pained him to see her tears. But he knew that she'll get through this. He would help her get through all this.

Elsa paused again then squeezed back on Jack's hands. She was having an internal battle. Her memories of her brief childhood with her younger sister, a time when she was still able to use her powers freely, when her powers made the both of them laugh and giggle with fun and brought them close to each other; they were telling her that no, Anna would never lock her up. Besides, Anna had always been open to her. Anna tried to bring her out of her cage but it was her, it was Elsa herself, who refused to open up and always shut the younger one out.

But that was all before Anna knew of Elsa's powers. Anna had forgotten of them, had no knowledge of them. The situation was definitely different now and no matter how much it pained Elsa to think so that there was even the slightest bit of possibility that her very own sister, her one and only family, would actually condemn her, change was change and a possibility was a possibility.

"Don't you trust her?"

Elsa nearly choked at her own sob. The answer to that question wasn't as hard to find as she thought it would. She shook her head at first, then nodded. Of course she trusted Anna.

Jack slipped his hands out of Elsa's hold to cup her cheeks into them. He lifted her head up so he could look into her eyes and smile at her. "And that's the most important thing. That you trust her."

"But I don't trust myself." Elsa choked out through a sob.

"You won't hurt her." Jack assured, wiping her tears with his thumbs. "Look, you haven't hurt me at all, have you? Sure, you've hurt her in the past. But the past _is_ the past, Elsa. As you are right now, the you who is free, who can laugh, who can have fun," he laughed as he remembered their games earlier, "do you really think you would hurt anyone?"

Elsa just stared into Jack's eyes, thinking his words through. She'd realized that she really _was_ free now; no right, no wrong, no more rules for her, remember? She was able to laugh and play now and most of all, she hadn't hurt Jack throughout the whole time at all. Her powers had not gone out of control either.

With a little bit of confidence building up in her now, she nodded her head. "Maybe not."

Jack grinned happily with her answer. Wiping away the rest of the tear stains on her face, he cheered her on. "Now go and greet your sister."

Elsa smiled back at Jack and helped him with cleaning up her face.

Then from down below echoed a call, "Elsa?"

* * *

><p><em>AN: We're nearing the end! I think... Thank you so much for all the reviews and faves and follows. You are all my fuel to writing this story ;)_


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Jack sat on the windowsill, staring up at the moon, as he waited for Elsa. If everything went well for her, what will happen to him? He's been wondering that since Elsa left the room and was now trying to find answer from the man in moon himself. Will he be sent back to his home? Somehow, that thought was disheartening.

He's only been here for a few days, sure. And he's only just met Elsa. But it felt like the two of them had known each other for a long time, and Jack was sure he knew Elsa more than anyone else. After he's done here, the thought of going back seemed just not right. After all, with all the problems solved, Elsa would surely be more open. She'd smile more, laugh more, and then they'd play some more. And hopefully, he can get closer to her again, skin on skin, breath mingling, hands touching. Then he'd take her in his arms again where Elsa fitted so nicely.

Jack suddenly wanted to fan himself. He was a personification of the cold so naturally, he'd always felt cold. This time though, he could feel his face heating up, spreading wide to his ears and neck, which was just strange. He briefly wondered what was happening to him before he heard a commotion outside.

He looked towards the doors that led outside, wondering if everything was going well. His questions were answered when the walls started freezing much more, culminating a new thick layer of ice that looked rough and uneven. The temperature dropped a few more degrees and the new layer of ice started spreading faster, distorting the beautiful walls and pillars. Elsa must've lost control.

It alarmed him when the ice formed pointy spikes so he rushed outside, worried that Elsa would hurt herself. He burst open the doors and searched for Elsa for a few moments before he found her, standing by herself in the middle of a room filled with those pointed ice, head between her hands.

He looked on sadly for a second before calling out, "Elsa?"

Elsa flinched and relaxed when she'd realized it was Jack. She slowly turned to him and it broke his heart to see the return of the fear in her. He took a step forward to go and comfort her once more, but Elsa took a step back. They stopped and stared at each other for a moment, and Jack resigned himself for now.

"What happened?" He gently asked.

"I've hurt my sister again, Jack." She replied, voice torn and trembling. "And not just her but everyone in the kingdom. I- I didn't know that… that I set off an eternal winter or… or whatever. But it seems that I've taken away the summer in the kingdom and-" she sighed helplessly and ran her fingers through her hair in frustration. "I don't know what to do! I don't know how to remove the winter!" She paused then suddenly turned to Jack. "Do _you_ know?"

Jack sadly shook his head. "No."

Elsa turned away from him and started pacing back and forth, looking so distressed and lost. Jack wanted to help her, naturally, but he himself didn't know how. Could their power be reversed? He'd never thought of that before. However, there must be something he could do. Why else would he be here? But what _could_ he do?

Whilst trying to think of a way to help, he noticed something and looked around. When he did not find what- or more like, who- he was looking for, he turned back to Elsa. "Where's your sister?"

Elsa stopped with her pacing and her shoulders sagged sadly. "I… I sent her away."

"What? Why?"

"Because… because I didn't want to hurt her any more than I already had."

Jack started to slowly advance on Elsa as he continued to speak, "But she came here for you."

"She came here… to make me stop the winter." Elsa turned to him and stared, but didn't stop him from getting closer to her. As much as that brought relief to Jack that he wasn't being rejected, he was also feeling happy and pleased that he was allowed to get close to her. "But I can't stop the winter. And she couldn't stay because I'd hurt her. Because this- this curse!" She spat angrily, glaring at her hands. "Can only hurt everyone. I can't save anyone. I can't help anyone." She balled her hands into fists and drew them close to her chest as she closed her eyes.

Jack was standing in front of Elsa now, watching her helpless figure. He could see why Elsa was like this, could see why she thought of her power a curse. But he refused to believe that she could only ever hurt anyone because so far, Elsa had not hurt him at all. Now, if only he could convince her… "You're wrong."

Elsa's eyes snapped open and looked up at him, clearly unbelieving.

"You're wrong." He repeated in a whisper.

"_There's a hero if you look inside your heart,_" he started, softly and gently.

"_You don't have to be afraid of what you are.  
>And there's an answer, if you reach into your soul,<br>And the sorrow that you know will melt away._"

Elsa was staring up at him with wide eyes. He smiled, and continued with his way of convincing her. That hope was not lost. That there's something she could do. That she can help people too.

"_And then a hero comes along,  
>With the strength to carry on.<br>And you cast your fears aside,  
>And you know you can survive.<br>So, when you feel like hope is gone,  
>Just look inside you and be strong.<br>And you'll finally see the truth,  
>That a hero lies in you...<em>"

He wanted her to see that he was here with her. That she was not hurting him. That he believed in her. That he would be willing to help her. That he's not afraid of her. So she didn't have to fear herself.

"_It's a long road, when you face the world alone;  
>No one reaches out a hand for you to hold...<br>You can find love if you search within yourself  
>And then the emptiness you felt will disappear...<em>"

There was hope. She didn't have to be alone. That's why he was here with her. And now that he thought about it, maybe her sister believed the same. Maybe that was why she came here, and Elsa just needed to realize that.

"_Lord knows dreams are hard to follow,  
>But don't let anyone tear them away.<br>Just hold on, and there will be tomorrow,  
>And in time you'll find the way.<em>"

He caressed her cheek, hoping that this would be enough to make her understand. He hoped that Elsa got his message. "_That a hero lies in you._"

Silence fell between them as they only stared into each other's eyes, passing message through the windows to their souls. Until Elsa broke into a smile and she launched herself to Jack, arms around his neck, hugging him tightly.

Jack laughed in relief, wrapping his arms around Elsa and hugged her close too. She got his message, there was no doubt, she got his message.

"Thank you." She whispered into his ear. "Thank you, Jack."

They drew back to look into each other's eyes again, now smiling. And as Jack looked at Elsa, with her in his arms, fitting in so naturally as if she's been made to be there, he felt it. He felt the urge to close the distance between their lips and be closer than they'd ever been.

He glanced down to Elsa's lips and when his eyes returned to hers, he could tell that she felt it too. Their heads suddenly started to slowly close in together, covering the distance that separated them, and with only a few inches away, Elsa closed her eyes. Jack gained more confidence and was just about to close the distance and bring their lips together when something colorful caught his eye.

He looked up with a sinking heart at the portal that had opened behind Elsa. "Oh no." He breathed out as he gazed at the swirl of colors. He didn't understand. Why had a portal opened up? Was it his time to go home? But why? Elsa had not solved her problem yet. He shouldn't go home yet.

"What is it?" Elsa opened her eyes and looked behind her, following Jack's gaze. Her brows furrowed together in confusion as she took in the sight of the portal. "What is that?"

"My way home." Jack answered in a whisper, still uncomprehending of what was happening. He didn't want to return home yet, he couldn't return home yet. He still needed to help Elsa through and through, he still wanted to see her smile and beam in happiness when she'd finally dealt with her powers.

"Home?" Elsa repeated, sounding surprised. Her head whipped back to Jack and she searched his face. "You- you're going home?"

His heart clenched at the sadness in Elsa's voice. He didn't want to go home too. He told her as much with the look in his eyes but what would happen with the portal? Would it close on its own without him?

There was a slight panic in Elsa's eyes. "Do you have to go?"

Jack shook his head. No, he didn't want to go home. He wouldn't go home. Not now.

Then the wind started pulling Jack into the portal. He held unto Elsa tightly, refusing to give in to the force of the wind, even as he was slowly being sucked into it. They looked at each other with swirling emotions that they shared.

Jack had a lot of things that he wanted to tell her. And he could tell that Elsa wanted to tell him something too, and he might just have the idea what it was. But neither of them said anything. They just held unto each other's arms for as long as they could, held each other's gaze with their own.

All the unsaid things were in their eyes and they both knew and understood what those things were. They knew what emotions were there.

"I-" Elsa started but hesitated.

Feeling that they couldn't continue to hold unto each other anymore, Jack smiled at Elsa and brushed a thumb across her cheek. "I'll be back."

And with that, he let go and was swept into the portal, which then closed as soon as he was gone.

* * *

><p><em>Song is Hero by Mariah Carey<em>

_A/N: Woohoo, an update! Sorry for the lateness, I moved to Canada! Weeeee, when will spring come? Next chapter is last chapter. Thank you to everyone who follwed/favorited/reviewed! I love each and everyone of you and you're all my motivation to finish this. See you next chapter!_


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